Brazilian Seating
More often than not, vintage mid-century Brazilian furniture designs, with their gleaming wood, soft leathers and inviting shapes, share a sensuous, unique quality that distinguishes them from the more rectilinear output of American and Scandinavian makers of the same era.
Commencing in the 1940s and '50s, a group of architects and designers transformed the local cultural landscape in Brazil, merging the modernist vernacular popular in Europe and the United States with the South American country's traditional techniques and indigenous materials.
Key mid-century influencers on Brazilian furniture design include natives Oscar Niemeyer, Sergio Rodrigues and José Zanine Caldas as well as such European immigrants as Joaquim Tenreiro, Jean Gillon and Jorge Zalszupin. These creators frequently collaborated; for instance, Niemeyer, an internationally acclaimed architect, commissioned many of them to furnish his residential and institutional buildings.
The popularity of Brazilian modern furniture has made household names of these designers and other greats. Their particular brand of modernism is characterized by an émigré point of view (some were Lithuanian, German, Polish, Ukrainian, Portuguese, and Italian), a preference for highly figured indigenous Brazilian woods, a reverence for nature as an inspiration and an atelier or small-production mentality.
Hallmarks of Brazilian mid-century design include smooth, sculptural forms and the use of native woods like rosewood, jacaranda and pequi. The work of designers today exhibits many of the same qualities, though with a marked interest in exploring new materials (witness the Campana Brothers' stuffed-animal chairs) and an emphasis on looking inward rather than to other countries for inspiration.
Find a collection of vintage Brazilian furniture on 1stDibs that includes chairs, sofas, tables and more.
2010s Post-Modern Brazilian Seating
Upholstery, Fabric, Paint
2010s Post-Modern Brazilian Seating
Upholstery, Wood
2010s Post-Modern Brazilian Seating
Metal
2010s Post-Modern Brazilian Seating
Metal
2010s Post-Modern Brazilian Seating
Upholstery
2010s Post-Modern Brazilian Seating
Steel
2010s Post-Modern Brazilian Seating
Metal
2010s Post-Modern Brazilian Seating
Upholstery, Wood, Plywood
1960s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Brazilian Seating
Wood
2010s Post-Modern Brazilian Seating
Fabric, Foam
21st Century and Contemporary Modern Brazilian Seating
Sheepskin, Wool
2010s Post-Modern Brazilian Seating
Upholstery, Wood, Plywood
21st Century and Contemporary Modern Brazilian Seating
Textile, Upholstery, Wood, Fabric
2010s Modern Brazilian Seating
Steel
2010s Modern Brazilian Seating
Wood
2010s Modern Brazilian Seating
Stainless Steel
2010s Modern Brazilian Seating
Steel
1970s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Brazilian Seating
Iron
2010s Post-Modern Brazilian Seating
Metal
2010s Post-Modern Brazilian Seating
Steel
2010s Post-Modern Brazilian Seating
Upholstery, Wood
2010s Post-Modern Brazilian Seating
Fabric, Paint
2010s Post-Modern Brazilian Seating
Leather, Paint
2010s Post-Modern Brazilian Seating
Metal
2010s Post-Modern Brazilian Seating
Metal
2010s Post-Modern Brazilian Seating
Metal
2010s Post-Modern Brazilian Seating
Metal
2010s Post-Modern Brazilian Seating
Metal
2010s Modern Brazilian Seating
Bronze
2010s Post-Modern Brazilian Seating
Upholstery, Wood, Plywood
2010s Post-Modern Brazilian Seating
Stainless Steel
2010s Post-Modern Brazilian Seating
Upholstery, Wood
2010s Modern Brazilian Seating
Bronze
1960s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Brazilian Seating
Metal
2010s Post-Modern Brazilian Seating
Upholstery, Wood
2010s Post-Modern Brazilian Seating
Upholstery, Wood
1950s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Brazilian Seating
Iron
1950s Vintage Brazilian Seating
Fabric, Jacaranda
2010s Post-Modern Brazilian Seating
Upholstery, Wood
2010s Modern Brazilian Seating
Wood
2010s Post-Modern Brazilian Seating
Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Modern Brazilian Seating
Metal
2010s Modern Brazilian Seating
Stainless Steel
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Brazilian Seating
Cowhide, Hardwood
1970s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Brazilian Seating
Metal
2010s Brazilian Seating
Fabric
1960s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Brazilian Seating
Velvet, Wood
1660s Mid-Century Modern Antique Brazilian Seating
Rosewood, Silk
2010s Minimalist Brazilian Seating
Copper
21st Century and Contemporary Modern Brazilian Seating
Aluminum
21st Century and Contemporary Modern Brazilian Seating
Fabric, Hardwood
21st Century and Contemporary Modern Brazilian Seating
Aluminum
2010s Post-Modern Brazilian Seating
Stainless Steel
2010s Modern Brazilian Seating
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Brazilian Seating
Concrete
2010s Modern Brazilian Seating
Steel
2010s Modern Brazilian Seating
Steel
2010s Modern Brazilian Seating
Bronze
Read More
20 Inviting Dining Rooms Perfectly Arranged for Entertaining
Top interior designers show — and tell — us how to create delectable spaces for hosting dinner parties.
Nobody Puts This Sunny Sofa in a Corner
With its plush cushions, cane details and dazzlingly colorful back, it’s inviting from every angle.
The 21 Most Popular Mid-Century Modern Chairs
You know the designs, now get the stories about how they came to be.
Fred Rigby’s Modular Seating Can Be Configured in So Many Handy Ways
The plush Cove Slipper 2.5 Seater sofa is just one of many convenient combinations from the London-based maker.
This Chubby-Chic Quilted Stool Stands on Its Own Two Feet
Sam Klemick's cool stool is edgy, cozy and environmentally sustainable all at once.
Is Lionel Jadot the Willy Wonka of Upcycled Belgian Design?
From his massive collaborative workshop in a former paper factory, the designer concocts funky furniture from disused materials, as well as luxe hotel interiors like the new Mix Brussels.
Rock Your Cares Away on This Sunny Hand-Crocheted Swing
The boho-chic Enchanted Forest Swing, handmade by marginalized women from Turkey and Syria, is uplifting in every way.
Learn Why Designer Maarten Baas Set This Charles Rennie Mackintosh Chair on Fire
What happens when you do something to a piece of furniture that you shouldn’t? It becomes an entirely new object.